Second Date
by skimmy77
Summary: Follow up to First Date. (Not very creative titles, I know. Sorry.) Second in Dating Series. Oliver and Felicity go on their second date the very next evening, but first, a Team Arrow lunch at Big Belly Burger and a visit to Ray Palmer at Queen Consolidated. UPDATE: Bumping this up to M because of Chapter 5.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here's the follow up to First Date! There's a couple of chapters of setup before the actual date, bear with me.**

Felicity pulled up to a spot in front of Big Belly Burger and turned off her car, sighing with relief. It had been a long morning at Queen Consolidated. One of Ray Palmer's first decisions as the new CEO had been to launch a company-wide upgrade to their security system, which involved meticulous coordination between Felicity (who was now IT Director, the other of Palmer's first decisions as CEO), QC's head of security, and two liaisons from the Department of Homeland Security. They were trying to troubleshoot their way through a particularly stubborn glitch in the mainframe, and more than once, Felicity lost her patience with the suits and used her loud voice. None of them had any real understanding of the finesse that was necessary for working with computers. They all thought that, because they were machines, all you had to do was change up some wires and make it work, but Felicity knew differently. Computers were like children; you had to tell them what to do, in specific detail, and when they disobeyed, you had to put your thinking cap on and figure out where the root problem was, so you can get through to them and communicate better. IT was an art, not just a science. But try to tell _that_ to these gorillas.

She shook off the stress of her morning and walked into the restaurant with a skip in her step. Today was the day after her date with Oliver, and she was really excited to see him again, even though it had been little more than twelve hours since she saw him. She wasn't quite sure how he would behave around her now. Would he pretend like nothing happened in front of Diggle? Would he be more obvious about his affection for her? She decided she would follow his lead about how public he wanted to make their…thing.

Her steps slowed as she approached their table. Oliver and Diggle were in mid-conversation when Oliver looked up, and a bright smile lit up his face. He scooted over on his side of the booth and beckoned her to sit next to him. She took her seat with a smile, and before she could even say hello, Oliver cupped her face and kissed her, passionately, on the lips.

Well, that answers that.

Oliver pulled away from the kiss with a very wide grin. Felicity blushed intensely, sneaking a glance at Diggle, who was currently smirking.

"'Bout damn time," he said nonchalantly, picking up a french fry.

Her blush intensified.

"But," Diggle continued, pointing a finger at both of them, "you two better keep it in your pants in the lair, or put an arrow in the door to give a brother some warning."

Both Oliver and Felicity blushed at his words. "We haven't—" she started.

"It's not—" Oliver said at the same time.

"Ah!" Diggle interrupted, throwing up a hand. "Don't care. Not my business. I've said my piece." With that, he took a sip of his drink, letting them know the topic was officially closed.

Felicity exchanged a shy, but heated glance with Oliver. There was an uncomfortable silence between the three of them; well, Diggle seemed very comfortable, so the tension was thick for only two of them.

Oliver cleared his throat and directed his next question at Felicity. "So, what's been going on with my company?"

She sighed with relief at the change in topic, and slipped into business meeting mode.

"Right now, we're rebuilding," she began. She paused to give her order to their waitress before continuing. "The AS building is being reconstructed, and all the security protocols are being changed, not just for Applied Sciences but for QC headquarters and all the subsidiaries, too. Which means, I might be traveling in the near future," she stated with some dismay.

Oliver's head tilted in curiosity. "That's a lot of work. Where's QC getting the funding for this?"

Felicity shrugged. "From what I could tell, Ray has some federal connections, which is kind of interesting."

Oliver's eyebrow quirked and a muscle in his jaw ticked. _"Ray?"_

Felicity ignored him. "I've checked him out and he's got some classified information in his background, so I'm guessing he did some work for the government. Maybe DHS, since I've been working with their lackeys."

Diggle rubbed his chin. "Is that ethical, for the federal government to be investing money into a corporation?"

Felicity shook her head. "They're calling it relief funds, because, apparently, the bombing was categorized as terrorism."

Oliver startled at this news. "Terrorism? Is that what Isabel told them?"

"No," Felicity countered. "Not necessarily. From their point of view, Starling City got routed by men in masks, and A.R.G.U.S. showed up ready to level the city. The bombing seemed like the thing that set everything off, so they're writing off the whole thing as a terrorist plot."

"Does that mean the feds are after us?" Diggle asked in a low voice.

"I don't think so," Felicity reassured. "They're blaming the whole thing on Slade, and if there's one thing the feds hate more than anything, it's re-opening a closed case. So, I think we're safe for now."

"But you covered our tracks, right?" Oliver asked.

Felicity scoffed. She gave Oliver a patronizing glare. "Do you really need to ask?"

Oliver just smiled. "What else?"

"Well," Felicity continued, "we have metal detectors now."

Oliver frowned. "Is that really necessary?"

"The Board decided," Felicity said flatly. "I guess getting attacked by gunmen made them anxious."

"But I took care of that last year," Oliver protested. "I got an entirely new and better trained security team."

Felicity sighed. "I know, but this board is second guessing your decisions of the past year, and even though I think they're over-reacting, it's their decision."

Oliver shook his head. "I'll talk to them. It's not the right move for the company, it sets a bad precedent—"

"Oliver," Felicity interrupted, placing her hand over his on the table. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think anyone on the board will listen to you right now."

"Would they listen to you?"

Felicity started shaking her head vehemently. "Oh, no, don't get me involved! I have no interest in corporate politics. I'd much rather deal with machines."

Oliver ground his teeth in frustration. "Then I'll talk to _Ray._" The contempt in his voice was obvious.

Felicity held back a sigh. Over the past couple of weeks, she had been noticing Oliver's unfriendly attitude toward Ray Palmer, almost from the moment they met him. In hindsight, she could see that some of that attitude came from jealousy; Ray Palmer had kissed her hand in greeting, she had been flattered, and Oliver had glared. His behavior had been reminiscent of his meeting Barry Allen. But the contempt in his voice wasn't coming from jealousy; at least, she didn't think it was.

She decided to confront him. "What, exactly, is your problem with Ray?"

Oliver just frowned at his food.

Diggle chuckled, and Felicity looked at him, asking without words to explain. Diggle just quirked his eyebrow and said, "Because you called him Ray."

So it was jealousy. Felicity looked at Oliver, and held back a laugh at the picture he portrayed. He was sulking like a child who got called out on bad behavior, and it inexplicably warmed her heart. She decided to show him some compassion.

"Oliver," she began, tightening her grip on his hand. "You have nothing to worry about. You're my guy, remember?"

Oliver finally looked up at her with a small smile, remembering their conversation from last night. He thanked her with a gentle kiss that went on a little bit longer than was appropriate in mixed company. They broke apart when a throat cleared.

They looked at Diggle, who regarded them silently for a beat, amusement sparkling in his eyes. Then he spoke. "Can we get back to business, please?"

Felicity ducked her head and blushed. Thankfully, her food arrived just then, and she had an excuse not to speak for a while. She listened as Oliver asked Diggle about last night's patrol, which had been uneventful. They talked about increasing Roy's training regimen, and Oliver considered giving him some advanced archery training. She liked the sound of that; the more people that could help Oliver in his crusade, the better. He would have more backup, and if things kept progressing the way she hoped, he would be able to take the night off more often.

She asked Diggle about Lyla's pregnancy, and she loved how his entire being lit up as he talked about the baby. She couldn't wait to be an aunt; she was going to spoil that baby rotten when he or she came out. She said so to Diggle, which made him laugh.

They spent the rest of the lunch catching up on the mundane details of their lives. Felicity talked about the current gossip mill at QC (of which she was an unfortunate victim, having received yet another unusual promotion). Diggle talked about his current one-percenter who was terrified that the Arrow was going to come after him (which amused them all to no end, since the Arrow only went after real criminals, not paranoid wealthy old men whose only crimes were gluttony and reckless spending). Oliver updated them on his epic saga of trying to reclaim his assets (of which the only victory so far was a studio apartment in the city, so that Oliver didn't have to be homeless).

Oliver also spent the rest of the lunch making physical contact with Felicity in some way, whether it was holding hands on top of the table, or wrapping his foot around her ankle, or holding her against his side with his arm around her waist. Each time he made contact, it caught her slightly by surprise, as she was still getting used to the overt affection he was displaying. Not that she was complaining.

The conversation hit a lull. They sat in a comfortable silence, with Diggle texting on his phone, and Felicity leaning into Oliver's side with his arm wrapped around her shoulder. The waitress came and left the check and cleared away their plates. The three of them proceeded to play their usual tug of war with the check, until Felicity won this time. Diggle and Oliver murmured their thanks and she left some cash on the table.

"Well, kids," Diggle said, standing up from the table. "The time has come for me to go."

"See you at 4?" Oliver asked him. Diggle nodded.

"Bye, John," Felicity said with a little wave. Once he left the restaurant, she turned to look at Oliver. "What's going on at 4?"

Oliver raised an eyebrow at her. "That's for me to know, and for you to find out. Later." He punctuated this with a kiss.

"Hmph," she scoffed lightly. "Keeping secrets from me?"

Oliver shook his head. "Not a secret. A surprise. There's a difference."

Felicity smiled. "Oh, well, in that case, that's okay."

They fell silent, simply enjoying each other's warmth and affection, until a quiet little nudging in her conscience reminded her of her responsibilities at work.

She groaned into his chest. "I have to go back to work."

His arm tightened around her. "No chance you can play hooky?"

She shook her head. "No, there's a nightmare of a glitch I'm trying to fix, and if I didn't go back to it today, I'd have to face three angry men in suits on Monday."

"Okay," Oliver relented.

Felicity made a quick pit stop to the ladies' room, and when she returned, Oliver reached for her hand and led her out of the restaurant. They walked slowly, reluctant to part from each other's company. She took a deep breath, feeling happy and content.

"I could really get used to this," she said softly, smiling at him.

Oliver returned her smile. They reached her car, and he opened her door for her. He took a deep breath and gazed into her eyes, and she saw her contentment mirrored in his face. He leaned his head down to give her a soft kiss, and she met him halfway.

He pulled away slowly and took another deep breath. "Can I follow you to work?"

She huffed a laugh. "You don't have to follow me, Oliver. You know where it is."

His smile widened. "I just want to make sure you get there safe."

"What could possibly happen to me between here and there?" she teased.

Oliver shrugged. "Maybe I just don't want to leave your side yet."

She laughed. "Now, that, I believe."

He laughed with her, and kissed her again. She prolonged the kiss this time, letting herself enjoy this moment for a little bit longer before she had to get in her car and drive back to work. She sighed happily when they parted.

"Oh, before I forget," Oliver murmured, "I'm going to need your apartment key."

She gave him a wary look. "What for?"

"Part of the surprise."

She narrowed her eyes playfully before taking her key off the key ring and handing it to him. "No funny business, mister," she teased.

Oliver chuckled. "I don't know what you mean by funny business, but I promise you'll like what I have planned."

Okay," she surrendered. "I trust you." She pecked him on the lips and got into her car. She turned on the ignition, and then checked her rearview mirror. Once she saw Oliver behind her on his motorcycle, she started her drive back to QC, where a computer with a tantrum and humans with thick skulls were waiting for her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Oliver accompanies Felicity back to QC, and has a meeting with Ray Palmer.**

Oliver listened and looked bemusedly at Felicity as she spoke in rapid detail about the changes happening at QC, enjoying the way her hands flew through the air and her eyes sparkled. He could tell she really enjoyed her role as a director for a department, the way she referred to her employees as "minions." They, in turn, seemed to love Felicity, as each one they passed greeted her with a smile. She knew every single one of them by name, and they always seemed to leave her presence happier than when they arrived. It struck him powerfully just then how perfectly she fit her name. His Felicity, spreading happiness wherever she went. How could he not fall in love with her? Everyone fell in love with Felicity, male and female alike. They were all powerless under her spell.

Case in point, a young woman who was amazingly even shorter than Felicity was looking at her with awe and speaking to her with her eyes wide with excitement, her own hands flailing around. It seemed she was delivering good news, as Felicity jumped a little and clapped her hands lightly. His heart skipped a beat as she turned a beaming smile on him.

"The algorithm I wrote found what was glitching in the mainframe!" she said excitedly.

"Congratulations," Oliver said with a smile, and then shook his head with a suppressed grin. "I don't know what that means."

Felicity laughed out loud and grabbed his arm as she swayed into him. His arm tingled where she held on, and he took a sharp breath, not unaffected by her joy. "It means," she said, recovering, "that I will most definitely be on time for our date." She exaggerated the 't' in date as she leaned closer to him and lifted her face.

He knew a signal when he saw one. He didn't hesitate to meet her halfway with a soft, lingering kiss. He lingered a good long while, swiping his tongue across her lips before breaching them, seeking out her tongue. His breath stuttered at the sensation of her tongue caressing his, and he took a step closer to her, his brow furrowing with passion, his hands gripping her arms. Her torso swayed into his, as her hand tightened on his bicep. His hands traveled up her arms, up her neck, and he cupped her face, his fingers stroking the hair behind her ears—

A throat cleared loudly behind him.

They startled out of their kiss and broke apart roughly. Oliver couldn't believe he let it get that far in public, at Queen Consolidated no less. After hearing about the rumors going around about Felicity, he felt bad, knowing that this would only make them worse, seemingly confirming them. He looked down apologetically at Felicity, but was surprised to see her flushing not from embarrassment, but from arousal. His own arousal responded to hers, and for an interminable moment, he couldn't tear his eyes away from hers.

"Oh they do that all the time." The voice broke through his consciousness like shattering glass and he blinked. He looked at the young woman next to Felicity, remembering that this was her assistant, whose name he had forgotten.

"Do what?" he asked, glaring at her a little, irrationally annoyed that she had interrupted what had been a very nice moment.

She seemed to shrink under his stare, and Felicity batted him on his arm. He looked at Felicity and raised his eyebrows.

"You're being grrrr, stop it." She looked at someone over his shoulder. "Sorry about that, Mr. Palmer. We got a little carried away, I mean, not that you needed to know that, or that I should be talking about this with my boss—"

Oliver turned around. "Mr. Palmer," he greeted confidently, slipping on his business persona like a suit.

"Please, Oliver," he returned, "Call me Ray."

He heard Felicity chuckle under her breath, and he could just imagine her smirking because of their earlier conversation. He cleared his throat. "Ray," he said through a forced smile.

"It's funny you're here, I was just going to give you a call," he said blithely, as if he couldn't sense the tension coming from Oliver.

"That is funny," Oliver replied, "because I was thinking about paying you a visit soon."

Ray threw his palms up with a smile. "See? Kismet. Do you have some time now?"

Oliver nodded. "Sure. Let me just say goodbye to my girlfriend and I'll be upstairs."

Ray raised an eyebrow. He looked over at Felicity and then back at Oliver. "Great. See you in a few." He gave him a parting smile and walked toward the elevators.

Oliver grimaced. He felt some trepidation about turning around to face Felicity, knowing he might have crossed a line with the 'girlfriend' comment. They hadn't talked about it, after all, and for him to presume…

He turned slowly, dreading the look on her face. She was looking at him with a crooked smile and a raised eyebrow, her arms crossed and one foot crossed over the other. He shrugged at her, putting on his best pathetic expression. She laughed, and sauntered over to him. "We'll talk about that later," she murmured, and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. She smiled playfully, turned around, and returned to her office.

He tilted his head, admiring her form as she walked away. Particularly the perfectly rounded symmetrical swell in her dress, followed by that tempting bit of thigh that always made him want to see more. His gaze lingered on the back of her knees that had him imagining himself placing delicate kisses there, running his hands up and down those beautiful calves…

He shook his head with a deep breath, shaking himself out of his thoughts. _One thing at a time,_ he berated himself. _Get through the next date first._

He turned around and strode to the elevators, mentally preparing himself for his meeting with Ray Palmer.

xoxoxoxo

He had a strange feeling as he entered the office of the CEO, as he did every time he came here. He looked at the EA's desk expecting to see Felicity, and found a middle aged brunette instead. He almost felt like he should just walk into the main office without stopping, but reminded himself that he was the guest here. He shook off the surreal sensation and announced himself to the assistant.

"Go right ahead, Mr. Queen, he's expecting you," she told him.

"Thank you," he replied with his patented Oliver Queen smile. She just returned it with a polite smile of her own before turning her attention to her computer. He kept the smile on his face as his brow furrowed slightly, vainly taking offense to her blasé attitude toward him. He shook his head to himself. _Felicity is right, my ego really is the size of Lian Yu. _With a smile as he thought of Felicity, he turned to enter the main office.

Ray stood up and came around his desk to greet him with a handshake.

Oliver shook his hand and quirked his eyebrow with amusement. "I just saw you two minutes ago."

Ray laughed self-deprecatingly. "Sorry, force of habit." He gestured to the couches. "Have a seat."

His hands went to unbutton his suit jacket when he remembered that he was wearing a gray t-shirt with his brown leather jacket. His hands fell awkwardly to his sides. He quickly sat down and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, entwining his fingers together.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Ray asked. "I have a 30-year-old single malt scotch in my desk."

Oliver raised his eyebrows. "30 years, huh?" That did sound good. "Sure." His eyes widened with a little bit of lust as he saw Ray pull out a Macallan Fine Oak 30 from his desk with two tumblers.

"Neat or rocks?" Ray asked.

"Neat," Oliver replied.

"My man," Ray said approvingly. He poured out two fingers of scotch into each tumbler.

Oliver took a moment to inhale the fragrance of the scotch, enjoying the sweet smokiness. He took one sip and held it in his mouth, rolling the flavor around his tongue, relishing the spiciness. He swallowed and closed his eyes against that pleasant burn down his chest, and let out a cooling breath.

"That is really good," Oliver noted appreciatively. Ray hummed his agreement.

There was a comfortable beat of silence as both men enjoyed their scotch.

"So," Ray began. "You and Felicity, huh?"

Oliver smiled reflexively. He shrugged. "You could say that."

Ray nodded. "She's quite a woman. You're a lucky guy."

He tried to read into his words, wondering if it was a subtle threat or sign of disapproval, but he seemed sincere. "I am," he agreed with a nod.

"She's been indispensable around here, doing the work she's doing." Ray smiled and his eyes went distant. He barked a short laugh. "She has the DHS guys trembling in their boots, men almost twice her size, I might add."

Oliver laughed despite himself. "She has a talent for that."

"Even I know not to mess with her when she whips out the loud voice," Ray added, laughing along.

Oliver chuckled, feeling warm from thinking fondly of Felicity and a little bit from the scotch.

"How are things coming along for you on recovering your assets?" Ray asked.

Oliver shifted in his seat. "It's coming," he responded briefly.

Ray nodded. "Like I said, if there's anything I can do to help you, don't hesitate to ask."

Oliver simply nodded.

Ray continued. "I want you to know that I'm not saying that as a platitude. I really believe in what your company can do for this city, and in turn, the world. The technology being produced here has the potential to really affect people's lives in a tangible way. I want to be a part of that, and I respect what your father built here. I hope you understand that."

Oliver felt begrudgingly moved by Ray's words. "Thank you for saying so."

"It's more than just words, Oliver," Ray continued. "There's something I'm working on right now, which I can't tell you more about because it's above your clearance level. What I can say, is that the potential applications of what I'm working on, in fields like medical research, are really exciting. Technology that can literally save people's lives or improve their quality of life. Robert Queen helped pave the way to some of this technology being possible. Your family even named the Applied Sciences building after him, and we're keeping it that way. So, I respect your father's legacy. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Oliver blinked, surprised by the man's impassioned speech. He nodded.

Ray adjusted his posture, moving closer to Oliver. "I'm saying this, because I've been thinking about something, but I wanted to talk to you about it first."

"Okay," Oliver said slowly.

"The Queen family name has a lot of weight in this city, and I can't stress it enough, I respect that. I respect your family, and I respect you. That being said, the past couple of years, in the city's eyes, the name Queen is associated with more bad than good."

Oliver suddenly knew where Ray was going with this and he was already shaking his head in refusal.

"Now, wait," Ray put up a hand to stall his reaction. "Before you say anything, I'm not asking for a decision right now. I haven't said anything to the Board yet. This is just me, thinking out loud to, hopefully, a friend. Just, hear me out. Please?"

Oliver bit his bottom lip and stilled. He nodded at Ray to continue.

"QC is on the brink of bankruptcy. I'm investing my personal wealth into this company. We need investors, but nobody will touch this company with a ten-foot-pole. We're in dire need of a makeover, or we won't be able to accomplish those amazing dreams we have for this company. Do you agree?" Ray asked, nodding at him.

Oliver found himself nodding back.

"I don't know how to do that, except maybe, change the name of the company. It happens all the time in the business world. Companies get bought out, or merge, and names change. But the original names don't disappear. They're catalogued in the company's history, framed in lobbies. Buildings get named after founders, portraits are hung, stories are told through an oral tradition, and these things build company pride in the employees. Everyone knows where we came from, and everyone knows where we're going. And we're all going there together."

_Dammit,_ Oliver thought. This man was really good. He could be president one day, if he wanted, with persuasive skills like that. He sighed.

"Just think about it," Ray concluded.

Oliver nodded. "I will think about it," he promised.

"Good!" Ray responded with a smile. "Now, what was it that you wanted to see me about?"

Oliver took a breath. "I don't think metal detectors are a good idea."

Ray nodded. "You know, I actually agree with you."

Oliver raised his eyebrows.

Ray nodded again, expecting his reaction. "I think they make employees nervous, it's a subtle breach of privacy, and it's not really great for morale."

Oliver nodded, stunned. It was exactly what he thought.

Ray shook his head. "I made my opinion known at the Board meeting, but I got outvoted. These men and women were thinking emotionally, I'm sure. I don't think any of them have ever been in a situation like that before, being attacked by masked gunmen and being in the middle of a fire fight. For pretty much all of them, this was as traumatic an experience they would ever have to live through." He looked solemnly at Oliver. "Not like some other people."

Oliver looked curiously into Ray's eyes. The darkness he saw there intrigued him. It was like looking into a mirror. He realized he had underestimated Ray Palmer. There was something painful in his past, something that took away a piece of his soul, much like his own experience had taken a piece of his. He felt a reluctant sort of kinship with him in this moment, and decided to reach out.

"A friend once told me that if you survive a crucible, you grow the stronger for it."

Ray seemed visibly affected by his words. Oliver caught a brief glimpse of despair in his eyes before he lowered his head to look down at the scotch in his hands. He lifted his glass.

"To surviving a crucible," Ray toasted.

Oliver lifted his glass in return. "To surviving a crucible," he repeated, and they both finished off their drinks.

Ray stood up and buttoned his jacket. He held out his hand to shake Oliver's. Oliver stood up and accepted his hand.

"Thanks for coming by, Oliver," he said sincerely. "I'll be keeping my eyes open for an opportunity to talk the Board off the ledge, but it's going to take time. Rest assured that I'm not going to let it go. And, I hope this goes without saying, anytime you want to talk, QC business or otherwise, my door is always open."

Oliver nodded his understanding. "Thanks, Ray. I appreciate it." He turned on his heel and walked out of the office, sparing a casual glance at the EA. As he walked to the elevator, he thought about the meeting. He thought about Ray's request, and the passion he displayed when talking about his father's legacy. He had gone into this meeting with a little bit of suspicion, but had come out of it with a tentative respect for the man. And maybe, he thought hopefully, he had just made another friend.

He smiled to himself. Felicity would probably laugh. After his show of jealousy this morning, he would laugh at himself, too.

Thoughts of Felicity filled his mind as he left Queen Consolidated, off to run his errands for his date with her tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N The second date begins! You can find a link to Felicity and Oliver's outfits on my tumblr blog, look for skcolicity.**

Felicity walked into her building in a great mood. She finally fixed the error that had been haunting her system, and the admiration of her minions…er, employees…gave her a little ego boost. Not even the gossiping haters from Marketing could bring her down today, though they definitely tried. Her kiss with Oliver did _not_ go unnoticed, but she found that she really didn't care anymore. Let them think whatever they want; the people that were important to her knew the truth. Now she was on her way home for another date with Oliver, and she felt like she was a 10 on her personal happy scale.

She wasn't sure how she would get into her apartment (since she had given Oliver her key), until she reached her door. There was an envelope taped to it with her name written in Oliver's handwriting. She pulled the envelope off the door with a smile, and felt the outline of her key inside. She entered her apartment with a little trepidation, not sure what to expect. What she did see made her smile.

On the table in the entrance of her apartment was a substantial bouquet of green and pink flowers. Tucked into the bouquet was a card, again with her name written across the front. Warm feelings filled her heart at the gesture, and she picked up the card eagerly.

_Welcome home._  
_Take your time getting ready. _  
_Wear something comfortable, _  
_and meet me on the roof when you're done._  
_Can't wait to see you, xo_

_Oliver_

She clutched the card to her chest, the affectionate words intensifying the warmth in her heart. She dropped her purse on the floor and skipped to her bedroom to get changed. She decided on a simple pale yellow sundress with a white floral print, and her pink and yellow sunflower flats. She pulled her hair out of the ponytail and ran her fingers through it, going for a slightly tousled look. She traded her glasses for contacts and touched up her makeup. She refreshed her perfume and then headed for the roof.

The smell of grilling meat wafted through the doorway as she stepped through it. She took in the scene before her. Oliver was sitting cross legged on the edge of a blanket, grilling steaks on a small tabletop grill situated on the concrete floor. Behind him was an array of throw pillows that she recognized. They had come from her couch, she realized with a smile. On the other side of the blanket was an arrangement of candles of different types. She stifled a chuckle when she realized he had grabbed all of her various candles in the apartment to create this arrangement, and thus had jar candles next to small votives and a couple of tea light lanterns. Beyond the blanket she saw a speaker dock she had never seen before, currently emitting light jazz music.

She finally looked at Oliver, who was looking at her with wonder. He stood up and walked toward her. "You look beautiful," he remarked.

"Thank you," she replied. "You look really good, too." He was wearing a fitted black t-shirt with dark jeans. His biceps looked like they could rip through the arms of his shirt if he flexed a little too hard.

He nodded his thanks, and then he was in her personal space, leaning toward her.

She raised her head to accept the kiss Oliver was offering. They both chuckled at the distance he had to cross from their height difference; she was an entire head shorter without heels. He took her hand and led her to the blanket.

"This is nice," she commented as she took a seat on one of her pillows. "Different."

Oliver checked on the steaks briefly, and then produced a bottle of wine and two glasses that had been next to the grill. He poured out the wine and then turned back to her. He sat on her right, facing toward her with his legs stretched out. She was tempted to run her hands along his legs but squashed it, for now. Her eyes traveled up from his legs to his torso, lingering on his pecs, her mind filling in the multitude of times she's seen them without a shirt. She admired his biceps again, before she finally looked up at his face. He was smirking.

"Like what you see?" he teased, handing her a glass of wine.

She accepted the glass, ducking her head as she blushed. "I was totally checking you out just now, wasn't I?"

He smiled. "You're allowed. I check you out all the time."

"Oh yeah?" she asked flirtatiously.

"Oh yeah," Oliver nodded, giving her a lopsided smile. "I did it today."

She raised her eyebrows. "When?"

"When you were going back to your office, before my meeting with Ray."

"I see," she said slowly, smiling at him. "Did you like the view?"

He squinted his eyes with pleasure and nodded. "Oh yeah."

She giggled, and took a sip of her wine.

He turned to check on the steaks again. "How do you like yours cooked?"

She shrugged. "Medium, I guess. I like a little bit of pink."

A slow smile crept onto Oliver's face as he flipped the steaks. "So you've said."

She replayed her words in her head, and then blushed. She slapped his leg lightly. "You're bad."

His smile turned into a full out grin. "I'm a guy," he defended with a shrug. "That kind of information stayed with me."

She shook her head, smiling. "For the record, I'm not gay or anything. Or bi. Not that anything's wrong with that, just…I like men."

"Lucky for me," he said with a chuckle.

"I mean, I don't mind kissing girls, it's nice and all, but I have no interest…reciprocating, if that makes sense."

Oliver stared at her with his mouth open. "What I'm hearing is that you wouldn't mind a girl going down on you."

"Oh my god," she cried, covering her eyes. "That's not what I meant."

"No?" He was looking at her with suppressed glee, enjoying her reaction to his teasing.

"I mean, a mouth is a mouth, so I guess I wouldn't, but…oh my god, can we please change the subject?" She felt like her face could burst into flames.

Oliver chuckled. "Not yet," he teased, enjoying this game. "So, with your roommate, what was the extent of your experimentation?"

She covered her entire face, trying to hide her raging blush. "She did all the work," she admitted haltingly. "I kind of just, let her."

"Did you enjoy it?" he asked with a playful leer.

"Oh my god," she muttered into her hand. "Please let this conversation end."

Oliver peeled her hand off her face. "I'm sorry, this is making you uncomfortable. I'll stop." He cupped her face with his hand and kissed her lightly. She smiled at him, forgiving him instantly.

She tilted her head, considering the topic thoughtfully. "Is it a fantasy of yours?"

Oliver looked at her in surprise. "I thought you wanted to change the subject!"

She shrugged. "I'm just curious."

Oliver swallowed. "It's a common fantasy for most men," he deflected, avoiding her gaze.

She smirked at his discomfort. Two could play at this game. "I wouldn't mind kissing Sara."

The tongs in Oliver's hand clattered to the concrete as he muttered a curse. He recovered clumsily, keeping his eyes on the steaks. "I'm on board with changing the subject now."

"Okay," she laughed.

He transferred the steaks to two plates that were next to the grill, placing them each on a bed of greens. As she took her plate, she noticed the greens had various berries mixed in, along with some feta cheese, the whole thing drizzled with some kind of dressing.

"No nuts in the salad," he mentioned. "Balsamic dressing okay?"

"Yeah," she replied enthusiastically. "When did you get so good at cooking?"

Oliver shook his head with a smile. "That's all Digg. He helped me with that part."

"Ah, that makes more sense."

"Hey!" Oliver recoiled with mock offense. "I could have. I know how to google stuff."

"Yeah, but Digg has been cooking for years. That's like saying I can google how to shoot a bow and arrow."

He smiled at her. "Point taken." He handed her a knife and fork, and then raised his glass. "What should we toast to?"

She thought about it. "To good food and pleasant company."

He nodded. "I like that. Good food and pleasant company." They clinked their glasses and took a sip.

Felicity hummed appreciatively. "I love a good Cab Sav."

"It should pair pretty well with your rib-eye," Oliver commented. "Dig in."

She did, and was pleasantly surprised. "You cook a mean steak."

Oliver huffed a laugh. "I should, I had plenty of practice cooking meat."

"Ha," Felicity laughed. "Good one."

"It's actually kind of the theme for tonight," he said in between bites.

"There's a theme?"

He nodded. "A fusion of my life on the island, and my life now. For instance, I spent a lot of time eating meals close to the ground, like this."

Felicity nodded, understanding. She liked that he was sharing more of himself like this.

"Meals were usually some kind of meat," he continued. "Some greens, and occasionally berries, if they were ripe. Like this," he added, gesturing to their plates.

"No starches, huh?" she asked.

"No," Oliver replied, smiling. "No dessert, either."

"Oh man, talk about purgatory," she joked.

They both laughed at that.

"So where does the fusion part come in?" she asked after a beat.

"Well, these days, I spend a lot of time on rooftops." He swept his arm through the air, gesturing to their setting.

"True," she agreed, laughing.

"And," he continued more softly. "You're a part of my new life."

She took a deep breath as her heart fluttered. He was looking at her with such tenderness, that she couldn't help but lean over to kiss him.

"So how was your meeting with Ray?" she asked curiously after a minute.

Oliver puffed out his lips and sighed. "I'm not sure. I'm still processing it." He gave Felicity a searching look. "Let me ask you something."

She raised her eyebrows, waiting for his question.

"What does your gut say about Ray Palmer?"

She gave him an inquisitive look. "Why do you ask?"

He considered for a minute before answering. "You had a feeling about Isabel before…well, before. Laurel had a feeling about Sebastian Blood, and Thea had a feeling about Malcolm Merlin and my mother. I just think it's about time to start listening to the women in my life."

Felicity smirked. "Not gonna argue with you there."

Oliver smiled at her. "So, Ray Palmer?"

Felicity thought about it. "He seems sincere…" she started with a shrug.

"I hear a 'but' there," Oliver noted.

Felicity pursed her lips. "My gut isn't clear on him. Which, I guess, is telling in itself."

Oliver nodded, expecting that answer. "He isn't completely what he seems."

"I don't get any psycho evil vibes from him, though," she said hurriedly in Ray's defense.

Oliver nodded his acknowledgment. He picked at a seam in his jeans. "He wants to change the name of the company."

"Oh." That was big. "How do you feel about that?"

Oliver shook his head. "I don't know. I'm not crazy about it, but I promised him I'd think about it."

Felicity bit her lip, hoping her next thought would be received well. "I think it's pretty nice of him to put the ball in your court like that. I mean, he doesn't _have_ to ask you."

Oliver didn't respond to her, his eyes looking down into his wine.

"Well," Felicity continued, "whatever you end up deciding, I'm here for you."

She saw an interesting sequence of emotions on Oliver's face just then. His brows furrowed, as if thinking very hard about something, then his eyes widened just a fraction before he slowly closed them, wearing a slight frown.

She blinked a few times. "What the heck was that face?" she asked, intrigued.

He gave her a pained look, and shook his head. "Don't be mad."

Her eyes widened. "Why would I be mad?" she asked, slightly alarmed.

He sighed, still looking constipated. "I swear I didn't do this on purpose."

"What?" she demanded, frustrated with the suspense.

He bit both of his lips. "I just remembered another time I did a blanket date," he said hesitantly.

"Oh," Felicity replied warily.

"With McKenna." Oliver grimaced.

"Oh." She blinked a couple of times, taking in that information. That would be twice in as many dates. "Well," she rationalized, "like you said, you didn't do it on purpose."

He shook his head and looked at her pathetically. "I'm sorry."

"Don't," she interrupted softly. "Don't apologize. It wasn't intentional." But twice…One time she could write off as coincidence. What exactly did it mean when it happened twice?

"Maybe it was subconscious," she murmured out loud. Oliver started to protest, but she put her hand on his leg to stop him. "Hold on, I'm thinking." He fell silent, staring at her with a wounded expression.

What reason would his subconscious have for repeating past dates with her? Was it because they were so wonderful that he wanted to capture that same feeling with her? Or, she thought hopefully, maybe…

"Maybe your subconscious is trying to write over the other memories," she thought out loud. "Like replacing an old file with a new and improved one. And, wow, that sounded a lot more egotistical than I intended—"

"No," Oliver disputed, "I actually really like that theory." He smiled as his gaze turned distant. "I can't think about Russo's now without thinking about our first kiss." He turned his gaze on her. "And my memories of Lian Yu are already a little brighter because of you."

She gazed into his eyes as a smile slowly stole across her lips.

"Come on," he said, taking her wine and setting it on the ground. He stood up and reached out his hand for hers, helping her up. "Time for a dance."

She smiled as she placed her right hand in his and set her left on his shoulder. He pulled her closer to him by her waist, and held her hand against his chest. They swayed slowly as the words to the song currently playing resonated through her consciousness.

_It had to be you, it had to be you  
I wandered around and I finally found somebody who  
Could make me be true and could make me be blue  
And even be glad just to be sad thinking of you_

She closed her eyes and leaned her head against his chest, feeling happy and warm in Oliver's arms.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: ****The next chapter is finally here. Thank you so much for your patience! I went on a drabble binge for a while there, but rest assured, I won't abandon my WIP's. There's nothing worse than reading something only to get to the end and realize the last update was, like, two years ago. I'm not gonna do that to you. So without further ado…**

Oliver closed his eyes and let himself just exist in this perfect moment, holding Felicity in his arms as they swayed to the smooth crooning of Frank Sinatra, whose lyrics always perfectly captured those fluttering feelings of love. The feeling of Felicity's cheek resting on his chest warmed his heart, bringing out his protective instincts for this woman. There was nothing he wouldn't do to keep her safe and in his arms. He was done pushing her away; it had already been proven that not being with her didn't keep her any safer. They weren't together when they went up against Slade, after all, and that was the most danger she had been in since the Count. They weren't even together when the Count threatened her. No, he was done staying away from her. He wasn't sure he could even attempt it anymore. She was quickly becoming essential to him, more than sustenance, more than shelter, more than air.

He inhaled deeply, drinking in her presence. He noticed her perfume again, that elusive fruity floral fragrance that he automatically associated with Felicity, making him think of sunshine and optimism and hope.

"What perfume are you wearing?" he asked quietly.

"Hmm?" she inquired softly, keeping her head against his chest.

Oliver chuckled, and Felicity moaned in response. "Feeling good?"

"Mm-hmm," she murmured in reply.

He smiled. He let go of her hand to cup her face, lifting it so he could look into her eyes. He saw his own peaceful contentment reflected there. He lowered his head to capture her lips briefly before peppering kisses on her neck, traveling along her jaw line until he reached her ear. He nuzzled his nose under her ear and took another deep breath, filling his senses with her scent. Felicity moaned again, a note of arousal coloring the edges. He breathed out softly against her neck, her arousal sparking his. He darted the tip of his tongue on the tender skin behind her jaw, pulling out another moan, which was quickly followed by a sharp inhale. He moved his left hand toward the back of her neck, brushing his fingers against the little hairs that were standing on end. He closed his lips over her earlobe, nipping it lightly with his teeth. Felicity's breath burst in and out in little gasps, her hands tightening into fists against his chest, clutching his shirt reflexively. He felt one of her hands travel up his chest until her fingers scraped lightly against his neck, moving up further to scrape the stubble on his jaw. He groaned as the touch of her nails ignited sparks from his jaw around to his spine and straight down to his groin.

He panted into her neck as she continued stroking his jaw with her nails, becoming quickly unglued by her touch. He reached with his left hand to still her motions, needing to take a little breather. She seemed to understand, as she simply moved both of her hands around his neck and stood still, letting him catch his breath. He was suddenly completely on board with taking their time physically; if it was that intense every time they touched, he wasn't sure he would survive if they went all the way. Baby steps, he thought.

Feeling a little more in control of himself, he pulled back slightly to look at Felicity. Her big toothy grin caused him to lose his composure in a different way, and he dropped his head onto her shoulder, laughing.

"That was fun," she remarked.

He recovered from his laughter, feeling lighter than he had in a very long time. He promptly kissed her again, keeping his tongue safely behind his teeth, for now. He resumed their previous dancing pose, swaying with Felicity a little more quickly as the speaker emitted a more upbeat tune.

_Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars  
Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars  
In other words, hold my hand  
In other words, baby kiss me_

"This is my favorite song," Oliver noted with a soft smile.

"Oh yeah?" Felicity replied. "I noticed you have a lot of Sinatra on your playlist."

He nodded. "My mom said I was born loving his music."

Felicity laughed. "How does that happen?"

Oliver's eyes turned distant as he recalled a happy memory. "My mom always used to say that it was because she listened to a lot of Frank Sinatra when she was pregnant with me. And when I was still a baby, she would show me off to all the other socialites at their parties, while jazz music of the 40's and 50's filled the air." Oliver laughed out loud as another memory struck him. "Did you know I met him once?"

Felicity's eyes widened with surprise. "Really?"

He smiled as he shook his head in amusement. "It's my mom's favorite story. I must have heard it a thousand times. When I was a year old, my parents had a party, something to do with politics, I don't remember. Anyway, the President was invited, and Frank Sinatra came with his entourage. Not to perform, just to socialize. But enough people asked and begged him to sing with the band, and when he started singing, my mom said that I stared at him, completely mesmerized. I was an active baby, so the fact that I was stock still for three or four minutes shocked everyone." He chuckled. "She introduced me to him, and she said I looked star struck. Then she handed me over to be held by him, and I immediately freaked out and started crying. At the top of my lungs."

Felicity giggled. "Oh my god, you dissed Frank Sinatra."

Oliver laughed. "I was a baby," he defended with a shrug.

Another upbeat song came on, and a slow, mischievous smile stole over Oliver's face. Felicity looked at him with a little bit of alarm.

"Do you trust me?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

She nodded with a little trepidation.

"Don't tense up, and keep your eyes on me. I'll take care of everything."

She swallowed. "Okay."

He called on his years of ballroom dance training and led her in a few simple swing dance steps, slowly enough so she could keep up but quickly enough to keep her on the edge. He enjoyed watching her surprised expressions as he twirled and dipped her. After a few repetitions of the same steps, she seemed to catch on, and for the rest of the song they glided together, grinning madly at each other.

_Now, we might have been meant for each other  
To be or not to be, let our hearts discover  
Let's fall in love, why shouldn't we fall in love  
Now is the time for it, while we are young  
Let's fall in love_

As the song drew to a close, he slowed their movements. He was suddenly aware of the lyrics and his heart stuttered, realizing what he was saying to her without saying it. He looked intensely into her eyes and she gazed back, caught up in the moment with him. He was completely unsure of what to do. He wasn't sure if any declarations would be received well, not yet at least, and he was reluctant to break this gorgeous little moment.

Felicity's eyes softened, and her lips quirked up just a little. She wrapped an arm around the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. His heart soared; he had his reply.

When he finally pulled away, he leaned his forehead against hers. "Wanna take this inside?" he asked softly.

She nodded.

xoxoxoxo

She put him in charge of cleaning up the grill while she put away everything else. She said it would be quicker that way, and he didn't argue. When she asked where he wanted the speaker dock, he told her to keep it.

"For future dates," he clarified, and she smiled in response.

Once he was done with the grill, he left it on the roof to finish cooling off. He grabbed the remaining dishware and headed down to her apartment. He had a moment by her door debating whether he should just walk in, or knock first, when Felicity opened it.

"Oh!" she startled. "I was just going back up for those."

"I got it," he reassured.

"Okay," she nodded. "You wash, I'll dry."

He followed her to the kitchen, suppressing a grin. He was having much more fun doing mundane things with her than he probably should.

"You do know how to wash dishes, right?" she joked with him.

He laughed. "I do actually," he replied with a smirk. He filled the right sink with hot, soapy water. "Raisa would make me help her when my parents attempted to punish me for something." He smiled fondly. "I never told her, but I secretly loved helping her clean up. It was time I got to spend with someone who actually paid attention to me."

"Aw," Felicity sympathized. "I bet she knew it anyway."

"I think you're right," he agreed. He lowered the dishes into the water, scrubbing them methodically. "It became something of a stress reliever for me," he continued. "This was her method, and it was predictable, and I knew exactly what was expected of me. It was easy, and it made her happy." He transferred the clean but soapy plates to the left sink, where he rinsed them before handing them to Felicity.

They spent the next few minutes in comfortable silence, carrying out their tasks and living in the moment. The utter domesticity of the moment struck him hard. He could suddenly picture doing this with Felicity many years from now, maybe in a house. Maybe with little ones scurrying around, getting into trouble like he and Tommy used to.

"What is that face?" Felicity asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Hmm?" He turned his head to look at her, confused.

"You had a dopey grin on your face," she teased.

He huffed a laugh and dropped his head, blushing lightly. "Ah, just…really enjoying this more than I should, probably."

"I'm not complaining!" she remarked happily. "I love a man who can do dishes!"

He expelled his breath quickly, her words catching him off guard. He felt a strange tightening in his solar plexus, and he swallowed the small lump that formed in his throat. He snuck a peek at Felicity.

Her mouth was frozen open in shock. "I mean…"

He stared at her, riveted, both hopeful and terrified of her next words.

"Uh…" She shook her head with a nervous smile. "I'm not taking that back."

Another sharp breath burst out of him. He turned back to the sink, rinsing the last of the dishes, as he took a deep shaky breath in and out.

_I love you,_ he thought loudly in his head. One of these days he would be brave enough to say it out loud. Again. In a context that didn't involve a plot to outfox an enemy.

The last of the dishes were finally dried and put away. He leaned with his back against the sink, watching her for cues as to their next move.

She walked slowly to stand in front of him, and stepped into his personal space. She slowly wrapped her arms around him, and he responded by wrapping his arms around her. She laid her cheek against his chest and melted into the hug. He closed his eyes and kissed her hair before laying his cheek on her head.

_I love you,_ he thought again.

Something powerful was stirring in his heart, as he held Felicity in his arms. He couldn't name it, or quantify it, or express this feeling into words. He felt like he couldn't breathe, like there was a physical weight sitting on his chest. He felt utterly connected to her, like she had buried herself into his soul. He felt like there was a physical bond between them, something invisible but very real.

"Do you feel that," he whispered hoarsely.

"Yes," she replied immediately.

"It's not just me?"

"No," she whispered. "I feel it too."

He hugged her a little tighter, intensifying the sensation in his heart.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed this way. It could have been minutes, it could have been an hour; time seemed irrelevant to him. He felt that he could happily remain in this position with Felicity until the sun came up, and even then he was sure he would never tire of holding her.

Felicity took a deep breath, and pulled back slightly, breaking the moment. She smiled up at him tenderly. He brushed her cheek with his thumb, gazing at her with adoration.

Her expression turned a little flirty, and she smirked at him. "Wanna make out?"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Not much to say, except things are gonna get a little steamy. Enjoy. :)**

"Wanna make out?"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she cringed internally, worried that it sounded like a bad line from a cheesy movie. She could feel her cheeks getting hot with embarrassment, but then Oliver ducked his head and laughed. And then she was mesmerized by his laughter, and she counted it a victory.

He looked back up at her with mirth still dancing in his eyes. "Have I told you lately how adorable you are?"

Her blush deepened. She playfully shoved his shoulder. "You're such a jerk," she teased.

Oliver's mouth dropped open. "How is that a jerky comment?" he protested.

"You're making fun of me!" she complained, still blushing and smiling at him.

He held her face in his hands and looked deeply into her eyes. "I promise I wasn't. And yes, I'd love to make out with you," he said with laughter in his voice.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "See?" she pointed out. "You can't even say that without laughing."

He ducked his head again as laughter was pulled helplessly out of him. Each time he tried to compose himself to say something, he would softly chuckle again, unable to stop himself. Felicity watched this display of amusement with a little bit of awe.

"You totally have the giggles," she remarked with disbelief. "Oliver Queen, master of manpain, is currently having a giggle fit in my kitchen."

With one final huff of laughter, he beamed a smile at her and enveloped her in his arms. He sighed into her hair. "You make me so happy, Felicity."

She threw her arms around his waist, his words reaching her heart and warming it intensely. "You deserve happiness, Oliver."

He took a shaky breath, and pulled back to look into her eyes. He shook his head in wonder. "One of these days I might believe that."

She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and nuzzled into her hand. "I'll keep saying it until you do," she murmured with conviction.

His eyes opened with a look of blazing intensity that pierced her heart. He quickly leaned down and kissed her passionately, wasting no time with tentative gestures. She felt his tongue ravaging her mouth, and she met his passion with equal force. As their tongues dueled, a fire in her core was lit, and she felt herself get incredibly wet as her arousal exploded inside her. Little involuntary moans escaped from her mouth as she heard Oliver's breathing become ragged. She felt his hands roaming her back, her hips, her waist, moving up the sides of her body and lightly brushing the sides of her breasts, pulling a louder moan from her. She reached her hands around his neck and stroked the back of his head, remembering the way he shuddered when she did this to him last night. She was rewarded with a deep groan that vibrated against her lips. He pushed against her, walking her backward, pushing her up against the refrigerator. He melded his body against hers, and she felt the evidence of his excitement on her navel. Another powerful shot of arousal thrummed through her body. He started grinding against her, his mouth finally opening and parting from hers as he attempted to catch his breath. He immediately nuzzled his nose against her neck and lightly bit at her skin. She tilted her head to give him easier access, her own hips undulating against his. His tongue flicked her earlobe and traveled up toward her piercing, where he licked and bit and played with the bar in her ear.

"I've always loved your piercing," he whispered lightly into her ear. She shuddered with pleasure at the feeling that his voice produced. She was unable to form any coherent words and just moaned in response. She continued stroking and scratching the back of his head, delighting in his response to her touch.

His hands traveled down her body roughly, and she squeaked in alarm when he picked her up by the back of her thighs and held her against the refrigerator, wrapping her legs around his waist. This position brought his erection directly against her, and she threw her head back, moaning louder at the friction their grinding produced. She vaguely heard something crash inside the refrigerator, but she couldn't be bothered to think about that right now.

Suddenly, gravity shifted, and she held on for dear life as Oliver moved them somewhere. She took the opportunity to kiss his neck and bite his ear, determined to taste his skin. She scraped her teeth against his jaw, nibbling at his scruff. She could hear him groaning, which only spurred her on. She trailed little love bites down to where his shoulder met his neck, kissing and nipping all the way down. She smiled wickedly as she sucked on one spot, biting and sucking as hard as she could. She heard him gasp through his teeth even as his erection jumped sharply underneath her.

She suddenly realized that he had placed them on her couch, with her straddling his lap. She took advantage of the position to grind herself against his erection, shamelessly riding him and seeking out her own pleasure. She looked at him briefly and found him with an unfocused look in his eyes, panting loudly as he met her thrust for thrust. She leaned down and captured his lips, sucking on his tongue and scraping it with her teeth.

She felt an orgasm building inside her, and she sped up her movements, chasing that delicious feeling. Oliver seemed to notice the change and pulled her face away from his.

"I want to see you," he whispered, his gaze fixed on hers.

She kept her eyes on him as she panted unevenly, holding her breath in intervals as the pleasure inside her increased, coiling in on itself as it went from a gentle ache in her core to an increasingly focused point of intensity. She bit her lip as she felt the tipping point drawing near, and her moans became more and more desperate. She clutched his shirt in her fists as she crested the wave of her orgasm. Her mouth dropped open and a shout escaped her lips as pleasure exploded in her core, her muscles contracting powerfully and spreading from her center in ripples. She held her breath against the pounding she felt inside, breathing out in little gusts as she rode the waves on the way down.

When she finally came back to her senses, she found herself still clutching his shirt aggressively and breathing harshly. Oliver's gaze never broke away from hers, and he looked just as frozen in the moment as she was, unwilling to stir or change anything in order to stay in that moment for as long as possible.

Little by little, she relaxed, her hold on his shirt loosening, the muscles in her body releasing all tension. She continued staring at Oliver, basking in the afterglow. She blinked lazily, and gave him a lopsided smile.

Oliver smiled in response. "You are so beautiful," he whispered reverently.

She smiled, accepting his words. She leaned forward to press her lips against his, and kissed him slowly. She felt him stirring underneath her, and she started moving her hips again, wanting to bring him as much pleasure as he had just given her.

His hands went to her hips and stilled them. "You don't—" he began, but Felicity silenced his protests with her mouth. She reached down between them and grabbed at his belt buckle, starting to undo it.

"Felicity," he protested, grabbing her hand.

She looked into his eyes, and tried to communicate reassurance with hers. "Trust me?" she prompted.

He swallowed once, and then nodded with some trepidation.

She leaned forward to kiss him, to distract his attention from what her hands were doing. She succeeded in unbuckling his pants and worked on the buttons. Her hands moved confidently, driven by the compulsion to feel him with one less layer of clothing between them. She wanted to make him feel good, but in all honesty, she was just _really_ curious what he was like down there.

With his pants finally open, she reached inside to run her hand along his length, safely on the outside of his boxer briefs. Her eyes sprang open in shock, her lips still locked with his, as she finally _felt_ him. All of him. A very impressive amount of him.

Her lips pulled off of his with a pop, and she stared at him with surprise in her eyes. She looked down where her hands were still touching him, and then back up at his face.

He was smirking at her.

"Ho—" she started to say before he flipped her onto her back and interrupted her words with a kiss. He pushed the skirt of her dress up toward her hip, running his hand along the outside of her thigh.

"Have I ever told you how obsessed I am with your legs?" he whispered against her lips. He continued caressing her thigh, pushing it toward her body so he could stroke the underside. He moved his lips to her cheek and kissed a path down to her neck. His hand continued its journey on the back of her leg, stopping to graze the back of her knee. "I've had daydreams of touching you here, imagining your soft skin, wondering if you're ticklish…" He pulled back from her suddenly and grabbed her other leg, pushing it toward her torso. He bent over and kissed the back of her knee, following it up with kisses along her calf, lightly nipping the back of her ankle. He nuzzled his face against the side of her foot, holding it up with one hand and running the other along the top of her leg from shin to thigh. "I could touch your legs all day long."

She watched with amazement at the rapt attention he was paying to her legs, as if nothing made him happier in that moment. Who knew Oliver Queen was a leg man? She was very happy that she could bring him pleasure, however he wanted it. She never felt more like a woman, being so desired by this Adonis, and she felt incredibly lucky to be loved and wanted by him.

She grabbed onto the hem of his shirt and pulled. When he looked at her, she growled, "I need to kiss you right now."

He dropped her leg and obeyed. She wrapped her legs around him and moved her hips against his as they kissed, trying to provide him with some friction. He responded in kind by pushing his pants down to his knees and settling himself in between her thighs. Now she could really feel him, with only two pieces of fabric separating them, and her mind immediately thought of what it would feel like to have all of _that_ inside her. And for a long minute, she heavily debated with herself whether or not she should go for it.

"Why the heck am I waiting?" she thought out loud, not realizing that she did.

Oliver's breath left him in a burst in response to her words, and he paused his movements. "What?"

"Huh?" She looked at him, confused. "Did I say that out loud?"

He huffed a laugh. "I think so." He looked at her hesitantly. "What do you want to do?"

She licked her lips. All she could think about, all she could _feel,_ was his impressive length that was currently being cradled by her body, so teasingly close. The words flew out of her mouth before she even realized she spoke. "I want you inside me."

Oliver blinked hard and let out a sharp breath. "I thought—"

She shook her head, panicking a little at her lack of mouth filter. "Sorry!" she backtracked. "You know me and my mouth, speaking before thinking…" She shut her eyes. "And, I pretty much don't have thoughts in my brain right now. Because, I can't think of anything besides wanting you inside me." She bit her lip and cringed again. "This is all your fault. I have no blood in my brain."

Oliver chuckled. "I know the feeling." He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "And that's all I can think about too, wanting to be inside you."

She shuddered violently, her arousal peaking at his words. "Oh god," she cried, and her hips moved without her permission. "I can't think."

"Do you want me to back off?" he asked hoarsely.

"No!" she protested immediately. "I don't know." When Oliver stopped moving, she growled. "Don't you dare stop."

He groaned, and continued grinding against her. "Felicity," he murmured with a pained voice. "I'm not gonna make it very long if we keep this up."

"Shut up and move," she demanded, feeling another orgasm building.

"Shit," he muttered, speeding up his thrusting.

She felt her nerves buzzing under her skin and in her ears as their hips collided against each other in a steady rhythm. She watched his face as they moved, desperation and pleasure mixed in his expression. She felt buzzing in her ears again, and then she realized with a start that the buzzing was actually a phone.

"What—" she began, but Oliver interrupted her.

"Ignore it," he growled, panting heavily.

The buzzing stopped, but another one started, coming from somewhere else.

"Is that your—"

"I'm ignoring it," he grunted tersely.

"That could be John—"

Oliver clenched his teeth and screwed up his face in frustration. He let out an angry growl before backing off of her and reaching into his pocket. He answered the phone. "What!" he shouted.

She could just barely hear John on the other side. "Am I interrupting something?" his tinny voice said.

Oliver took a deep, calming breath. Once he composed himself he repeated his question a little more calmly. "What?"

"Lyla's in labor. Just thought you'd want to know."

Felicity sat up with excitement. "We'll be there!" she yelled excitedly. She yanked the phone out of Oliver's hand and brought it up to her ear. "How far along is she?"

Diggle chuckled. "The doc says she's about 5 centimeters dilated. I waited as long as I could before telling you because I didn't want to interrupt your date."

"John!" she scolded him. "This is your baby we're talking about! My niece or nephew! We're coming right now." Her mind immediately went to the gutter, and considering their previous activities, it wasn't very far off the mark. "I mean we're on our way!" She shut her eyes and counted backwards from three. "See you soon." She hung up the phone and handed it back to Oliver.

He was staring at his phone with a murderous look in his eyes, and Felicity had to bite her lips to hold back a chuckle. He had his Arrow face on, and she couldn't help but find amusement with the whole situation. She tentatively reached out a hand to touch his arm, trying to get his attention. He startled slightly before raising his eyes to meet her gaze.

"You okay?" she asked gently.

Oliver closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. A muscle in his jaw ticked slightly. "Mm-hmm," he replied with a nod, his eyes still closed.

Her smile widened as she took in his demeanor. She wasn't sure why she found it so funny when Oliver turned into an angry little beastie. Maybe there was something wrong in her head. Or maybe it was a quirk that uniquely qualified her to be Oliver's girlfriend, because Lord knows that angry little beastie liked to come out every so often, and he needed someone who wouldn't be intimidated by him. She wondered what she would be like as a mother, if she would laugh at her children's tantrums and not get frustrated like most mothers do.

Her conscious mind didn't even blink that she thought of Oliver and being a mother in the same mental breath. Her smile widened even more.

She edged closer to him and tucked herself under his arm, wrapping her arms around his torso. She laid her head against his chest and gently rubbed his back with her hand. She could feel the tension bleeding out of Oliver after a while, and she grinned happily when he returned her embrace, holding her with both arms.

"Sorry," he whispered above her head.

"Hey," she reassured, "don't apologize. John's the one who should apologize. He has really sucky timing."

Oliver laughed, the sound of it echoing in her ear.

"I mean," she continued, "Five more minutes, you know?" She shook her head. "I'll have to have a chat with him."

Oliver laughed some more, and he hugged her tightly. "I love you," he murmured, still chuckling.

They both froze. Her eyes widened, and her heart stopped briefly before thudding wildly. She heard Oliver's heart speeding up in his chest, and she was oddly comforted that he was as freaked out about the declaration as she was. She held him a little tighter and whispered, very softly, "I love you, too."

Oliver held her tighter and let out a slow, shaky breath. "Say that again," he choked, his voice strangled with emotion.

She looked up at his face and gazed into his eyes earnestly. "I love you, Oliver."

His eyes shone with unshed tears, and his breathing was still shaky. "I love you, Felicity," he whispered, and leaned down to kiss her passionately. When he pulled away, he kept his forehead against hers. "I love you," he repeated in a whisper.

"I love you," she whispered back.

She placed a hand on his chest, feeling the strong and still rapid rhythm of his heartbeat. They stayed in that position together, sharing the same air, rocking gently with each other. Time passed; Felicity wasn't sure how long. They didn't move or stir at all until Oliver's phone buzzed again.

He sighed heavily with frustration and pulled away from her. He looked at his phone. "6 centimeters," he said, reading the text from Diggle.

She nodded, and started to get up. Oliver grabbed her hand to keep her close, and she turned to face him with a questioning look. He pulled her face toward his for another kiss. "I love you," he whispered against her lips.

She smiled. He said it like a dam had been broken, and nothing was going to hold back the flood. She caressed his cheek. "I love you," she returned.

She straightened her posture, moving on from the moment. "Now we have to go meet the Diglet. Or the Dig_lette._" She started walking to her coat closet to pick out a jacket, talking as she went. "I really hope it's a _she,_ because I would have so much fun dressing her up. We need some more estrogen in our group. I mean, I guess it's sort of balanced, but Sara's never around, and Lyla's with A.R.G.U.S. so I don't spend a whole lot of time with her, and Laurel…well, she's Laurel…and as much as I love you boys, we don't need more testosterone." She turned to face him and found him standing right in front of her. "Oh!" she startled. She looked down and noticed his pants were back up and re-buckled. She suppressed a grin, remembering the way he looked with his pants around his knees. She definitely had to see that again at some point. She looked back up at his face, sharing a heated smile with him. She could tell he was thinking the same thing.

She took a deep breath, composing herself. "Ready?"

He nodded.

"Guess I'm driving?" she added, remembering that she didn't see his motorcycle on the street.

He nodded again.

"Okay," she said cheerfully. "Let's go."

She picked up her purse that was still on the floor by the door, and they left the apartment. As soon as she locked her door, Oliver reached for her hand and didn't let go.

**A/N: By the way, that first "I love you" surprised me as much as it surprised my characters. I had a plan to go there on the third date, but the words popped out of my fingers and onto the screen before I could stop myself. Fun facts about writing.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here it is, the last chapter to Second Date! (btw, there will be an epilogue that I will be posting only on AO3 and Tumblr, for smutty reasons. Poor Oliver needs some relief.) After this, onto Date Three! (bow chicka wow wow)**

Oliver watched Felicity's profile as they drove to the hospital. She was chattering excitedly about the baby, trying to guess what they would name him or her. His mind was only occupied with the light in her eyes and those lovely lips that were moving more quickly than he could keep up with. His hand was still clutching hers, forcing her to drive with only one hand on the wheel, but he had a feeling she didn't mind. He smiled as the memory of her orgasm surfaced. It was an image he had made sure to burn into his mind forever; the way her eyes squeezed shut at the height of her climax; the way her mouth dropped open with the shout of pleasure that had resonated in his spine; the way her whole body locked up at the height of tension and slowly relaxed as she came down from her peak. He had never seen a more beautiful creature in all his life, and he felt incredibly fortunate that he could belong to someone like her.

He hadn't meant to say it, those three little words. But, as usual, she managed to bring down all of his defenses, and make him feel utterly safe. And in that moment of complete unguardedness, it had slipped out. He froze when she froze, and for a split second, he thought he might have ruined the moment, but then she said it back to him.

There were no words to describe the feeling that overtook him then. Her words literally took his breath away. He had felt a powerful tightening in his chest, and the emotion permeated every single part of his body. It wasn't until she said it again that he was finally able to take another breath, and then, like a dam had burst, he couldn't stop saying it. He kept repeating it like a prayer, like Felicity was his angel and those words were his offering. He would have happily stayed in that moment forever.

He remained silent as he trailed after her in the hospital. He seemed unable to vocalize any thoughts, as overwhelmed as he was by his emotions. She seemed to sense his happy yet reserved state of mind and contentedly filled the air with her excited chatter.

They were directed to the waiting room, as Lyla had begun the final stage of labor and would not be allowed any visitors until after the baby was born. They found an empty row of chairs in the corner and settled themselves lengthwise across them, with Felicity sitting on Oliver's lap, her back to his front. He took advantage of the position to nuzzle her hair and plant kisses on her neck. She squeezed the arms that were wrapped around her, showing her approval of his affection.

"We probably could have taken our time," he stated after a period of comfortable silence.

She laughed. "You're probably right."

"Think of what else we could be doing right now," he murmured seductively.

She shivered. "Oliver!" she scolded quietly. "Don't get me started. We're in public."

He grinned into her hair. "I guess you've never fooled around in public, then?"

"Oh my god," she muttered under her breath. "I'm sure _you_ have."

He chuckled. "Twice."

She looked back at him incredulously. "Only twice? I'm surprised."

He squeezed her torso. "That can change right now, if you let me."

She shivered again, his words arousing her intensely. She shot a glance at the others in the waiting room, who were all studiously ignoring them. She shook her head. "Can I take a raincheck?"

He sighed. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

She tilted her head back and gave him a kiss. "I look forward to it."

He smiled down at her. He couldn't wait to cross that final line and show her how much fun sex can be. If there was any good to come out of his philandering youth, it was that he learned a lot of different ways to please a woman. He couldn't wait to try them out on her, and maybe learn some new things along the way.

It suddenly struck him that Felicity was likely going to be the last woman he ever slept with for the rest of his life. But instead of panic at that thought, the way he had panicked in the past, he felt such hope, happiness, and relief. It was a feeling of home, something he hadn't felt since the day he walked onto the Gambit. Maybe not even then.

With a sigh of contentment, he let his head fall back to the wall behind him and closed his eyes. He moved his arms further up her torso and hugged her tightly. He smiled when she squeezed his arms in return. He took a deep breath and cleared his mind of everything except the feeling of holding Felicity, the gentle weight on his lap, the hair that tickled his chin, the perfume that filled his senses.

xoxoxoxo

He realized he had dozed off when a soft chuckle woke him up. He forced his eyes open and looked to his left, and John Diggle stood there with his arms crossed, smirking at him. Oliver smiled back at him, and then nudged Felicity gently. He whispered her name, trying to rouse her. She snapped awake and sat up abruptly, a soft "wha…" escaping her lips.

She turned to look at Oliver but stopped when she saw who else was in the room. "John!" she squeaked, her excitement overwhelming her vocal cords.

He beamed at her. "It's a girl."

Felicity jumped off Oliver's lap and launched herself into Diggle's arms. He laughed at her even as she squealed her congratulations. He released her and turned to Oliver, hand outstretched.

Oliver looked down at his hand once, twice, and then ignored it completely as he went in for a hug. "Congratulations, John."

"Thanks, Oliver," he replied, slapping his back. "Come meet your niece."

Oliver traded a happy smile with Felicity before reaching for her hand. They followed Diggle through the maze of corridors and into their room, where they found Lyla in bed with the brand new baby.

"Aw!" Felicity cooed as she approached the bed. "She's so scrumptious!"

Everyone chuckled at her exuberance. Oliver watched as Lyla handed the baby to Felicity, who immediately lit up with joy.

"Have you guys decided on a name yet?" she asked, stroking the baby's sleeping face.

"We're still talking about it," Diggle said, raising an eyebrow at Lyla.

"I want her name to be Drew, after Johnny's brother," she replied emphatically. "He's worried people will think that's a boy's name."

"I think it should be Elizabeth, after Lyla's mother," Diggle argued playfully. "She was important to her and her sister, and she deserves to be remembered."

"Why not combine the two?" Felicity offered. "Drew Elizabeth Diggle." She smiled at the baby, thinking about the name. Her head popped back up as a thought occurred to her. "Unless it's Diggle-Michaels. Or Michaels-Diggle, but that sounds kind of dirty." She bit her lips as she blushed, realizing she just compared his name to something inappropriate.

Diggle laughed. "Not the first time that's been said, Felicity." He shared a look with Lyla. "What do you think?"

She nodded. "I like it. Drew Elizabeth Diggle."

"Drew Lizzy." Felicity chuckled. "Sounds like a rapper's name."

Everyone laughed.

"You're gonna be fierce," Felicity whispered, swaying with baby Drew as she talked to her. "Both your parents are good and strong people, so you have a good head start. You're gonna kick butt and take names, and Daddy Diggle won't have to worry about boys because you're gonna put them all in their place, just like Momma."

Oliver watched Felicity bonding with the baby with a powerful emotion welling up inside. He could vividly picture her, just a little bit older, with another baby in her arms, saying the exact same things in the same protective, nurturing tone. There was suddenly nothing on this earth he wanted more than to see that future realized.

He felt Diggle's eyes on him, so he straightened his posture and shook himself from his thoughts. He glanced over at him, but he was already caught.

Diggle smirked. "You've got it bad."

Oliver ducked his head and blushed, slapping his partner's chest with the back of his hand. Diggle shoved his shoulder in retaliation, and they both dissolved into laughter.

Diggle walked toward the bed, crossing in front of Oliver. "By the way," he murmured with a lopsided smile, "You got something on your neck."

Oliver's hand flew up to his neck, and he felt a spot of tenderness on his skin. He suddenly remembered how he got that, and his blush returned. He shook his head at Diggle, who just stared at him, mocking him with his eyes.

"What's so funny?" Felicity asked, handing the baby back to Lyla.

The men just laughed again.

xoxoxoxo

Oliver and Felicity strolled back to her car at a leisurely pace, in no hurry to end the night. She held onto his arm as they walked, leaning into him. She sighed contentedly.

"They look really happy," she observed. "She's so beautiful."

"She is," he agreed with a smile.

"What were you guys laughing about in there?"

He shook his head with a grin. "He noticed my hickey," he said, narrowing his eyes at her playfully.

She swayed into him, giggling. "Oops!"

"Oops, nothing," he teased. "You did that on purpose. Trying to mark me, Miss Smoak?"

"I couldn't help it," she objected. "Your neck was just there. Like a cheesecake. How could I pass that up?"

A laugh burst out of him. "Did you just compare me to a cheesecake?"

"It was the first thing that popped into my head!" She shrugged. "Okay, bad analogy. But the point still stands. You are just too tempting to resist. And," she added, raising a finger in the air. "if I remember correctly, you _liked_ it."

He nodded with a smile. "I did."

"Ha!" she crowed triumphantly.

They reached her car, and he opened the door for her. He waited until she was settled before walking around to the passenger side, getting in. Once they were on the road, he reached for her hand and didn't let go.

He realized they were heading to his apartment when she drove further into the city, and he spoke up. "We're going to my place?"

She glanced at him curiously before returning her eyes to the road. "Well, I didn't see your bike at mine."

His brows furrowed. "I'm not comfortable with you driving alone at this time of night."

She bit back a sigh. "Oliver, I'll be fine. Everyone's sleeping."

"Not the ones that attack. They're not sleeping."

She stopped at a red light and looked at Oliver with resignation. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

He shook his head obstinately.

With a heavy sigh, she turned on her blinker to turn left. "Fine. But how are you going to get home?"

He shrugged. "I'll call for a taxi."

She tapped on the wheel, considering his options. "You should just take my car. You can bring it back to me tomorrow."

The side of his mouth lifted with amusement. "You're gonna let me drive your car?"

"Yes. But," she warned, pointing a finger. "You better return my seat to its proper setting, or I will have words."

He suppressed a smile as he nodded solemnly. "I will, don't worry. I know how you feel about your chairs."

She nodded once in approval. "Good."

They traveled toward her apartment in comfortable silence. Oliver already started making plans to see her again tomorrow. He wanted to surprise her with a late breakfast, and since she didn't have to work, he thought about spending the day with her. He thought about giving everyone the weekend off, since things were so quiet lately. He pulled out his phone to text Roy, saying as much, and then returned his phone to his pocket.

He looked over at his…partner? His date? His Felicity…fondly. He remembered his slip up earlier today, and was surprised that she hadn't said anything. He decided to broach the subject. "Felicity?"

"Hmm?"

"Was it presumptuous of me to call you my girlfriend earlier today?"

A slow smile crept onto her face. "That depends," she replied. "Am I?"

He stroked his thumb over hers, and warmth bloomed in his heart. "I'd like you to be."

She looked at him with such tenderness in her gaze, and he felt that connection to her again. "Then, no, it was not presumptuous."

He brought her hand up to clutch it against his heart, holding it against the pangs he felt in his chest at her words. He repeated it in his mind, unable to really believe it quite yet. He closed his eyes as his emotions overwhelmed him.

Felicity was his girlfriend.

xoxoxoxo

They walked slowly to her apartment, hand in hand. Oliver was loathe to part with her, but knowing he would be back in about eight hours made it a little easier. They stopped in front of her door and turned to face each other.

Oliver glanced down at her lips briefly and took a small breath. She searched his eyes for something, and she must have found what she was looking for, as a soft smile lit up her face. He grasped her hands and held them to his chest, tilting his head as he looked at her.

As he gazed into her eyes, he tried to think of how to tell her what was in his heart. How thankful and grateful he was to have her in his life, and how absolutely terrified he was about screwing it up. But if he learned anything these past couple of years, it was that he had complete faith in her to help him. She had been his rock, his guide, his source of strength, his moral compass. She was the one who was able to take what little light was in him and make it grow. Without her, he would have been just a vigilante, doling out deadly justice without really contributing anything good. He would have gone the rest of his short life just waiting for death to claim him, hell bent on taking every crooked criminal down with him.

She reached up and smoothed his brow. He took a deep breath and leaned into her touch.

"What's going on in there?" she murmured.

His breath left him in a huff as he shook his head in wonder at this woman who loved him. Was there anyone in his life that could read him the way she did? He couldn't remember.

"Will you help me?" he asked brokenly. It didn't cover a tenth of what he wanted to say, but he was at a loss for words at the moment.

He needn't have worried, because she always knew what he meant. "Don't I always?" she replied, tenderness and understanding filling her voice.

He nodded slowly. He leaned down and kissed her with all his might, expressing his utter devotion to her with his actions, if not necessarily with words.

She wrapped her arms behind his neck, and he wrapped his behind her back, lifting her up on her toes. His heart beat wildly in his chest, and all of his attention zeroed in to the point of contact between their lips. He held her tightly against his body as he explored her mouth, never wanting to let go. He had no sense of how long they remained connected that way, and he didn't care. It could have been seconds, or minutes, or an hour; he would blissfully freeze time in this moment and die with no regrets.

After a long—very long—while, he set her back on her feet and kept his forehead against hers.

"Love you," he whispered.

"Love you too," she whispered back.

After another lingering minute, he pulled back with a deep breath. "Spend the day with me tomorrow?" he ventured.

"In a hurry to get to the next date?" she teased, smiling at him.

He chuckled. "You caught me."

She laughed. "I'd love to spend the day with you." She dug into her purse and pulled out her keys, opening her door before placing them in his hand. "Just don't come by before 9. Unless the city is blowing up. I like sleeping in until 9 on Saturdays."

"I remember," he said with a smirk, remembering the time he showed up at her place at 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday, thinking it was Friday. "In my defense, I thought it was a work day. I did bring you coffee."

She ducked her head and smiled, remembering that day. "That's the only reason you weren't reamed for waking me up that early."

He looked down at her profile with admiration. "I'll bring coffee and those pastries you like."

She looked up at him, beaming. "Yay!" She stood up on her toes and kissed him on the lips. "I can't wait."

He leaned down to steal one more. "Goodnight, Felicity."

"Goodnight, Oliver." She entered her apartment and gave him one more lingering look before closing the door.

He sighed happily before turning around to go home, tossing her keys in the air once before catching them again.

**A/N: Thank you all for your lovely feedback on this fic! And thanks for all the follows and favorites! You bring me so much happiness. Love you all.**

**EDIT: Thanks smoakqueen12 for reminding me, if you want to be updated on the epilogue of this fic, check out my forum, .net(/)myforums(/)skimmy77(/)2194678 ... I'll let everyone know there when it's up on Ao3.**


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